Chapter 4
By the time Buttercup arrived on the scene, Bubbles was already engaged in what appeared to be friendly conversation with the monster. As it made it's way back toward the beach, and disappeared into the water, Buttercup felt somewhat disappointed by the missed opportunity to kick some ass. She realized, however, if her sister hadn't beat her to the innocent creature, she'd have beat it to death.
"Bubbles, you shouldn't be taking risks, right now." Buttercup feared that Bubbles could die any moment, and her soul would forever burn in the pits of Hell. "How'd you get here, so fast? Why weren't you home?"
"Where's the monster?!" Blossom flew up to them, in a panic.
"Bubbles kindly asked it to fuck off," Buttercup explained, gesturing to the space beside her, where Bubbles had just been floating.
"Wait!" Blossom shouted, taking off after Bubbles.
"What's going on?!" Buttercup hurried after her sisters, who appeared to be headed toward the woods.
"Tackle her, Buttercup!" Blossom demanded, once Buttercup had caught up to her, and they were low enough to the ground.
Buttercup, wanting answers, didn't hesitate to carry out this order.
"Get off me, Buttercup!" Bubbles squealed.
"Not until you tell me why you flew away from Blossom."
"Blossom can tell you."
"I don't care who, as long as one of you start talkin'."
"Let me go, then!"
"Only if you don't run away."
"Fine!"
Buttercup released Bubbles, and was surprised when the latter kept her word. "Now, will someone please tell me what's up?"
"Buttercup," Blossom stepped up to the plate, realizing that she ought to be the one to explain her own situation, "for the past year, I've been hiding something from the both of you."
"She's having an affair with Professor!" Bubbles pointed an accusatory finger at Blossom, as she took it upon herself to break the news, anyway. "I caught them making-out in the lab!"
"What?!" Buttercup's jaw dropped, and her eyes widened at Blossom. "Tell me she's just insane."
"She's not." Blossom sighed. "Well, maybe she is insane, but she's telling the truth, regardless."
"Hey!" Bubbles defensively crossed her arms. "Why does everyone think I'm insane?!" Her question went ignored by her sisters, who were silently staring at each other, as though making a contest out of it. Buttercup seemed to be in shock. Her brain couldn't quite process this information.
"Girls," Blossom addressed both her sisters, "Professor and I love each other."
"Oh, so he doesn't love Buttercup and I?" Bubbles inquired in a sarcastic tone.
"Of course, he loves you," Blossom assured her. "He loves us an equal amount, Bubbles, he just loves me in a different way. Like, two plus two equals four, but so does one plus three." She directed her attention toward Buttercup, who still hadn't spoken. "You understand, don't you, Buttercup?"
"Well... I guess," Buttercup said, though she still couldn't wrap her mind around the situation, and was only now waking up from the shock of denial. "It's just really weird. I mean, I know he created us in his laboratory, but he raised us, and is basically our dad. Plus, the fact that you've kept this secret from us, while it was going on right underneath our noses, for... how long?."
"A year," Blossom averted her eyes in shame, as blush creeped over her face.
"Guess this explains why you broke up with Dexter," Bubbles realized, when she considered the timeframe. "I used to think you two were made for each other. A couple of redheaded research scientists. Now, that I think about it, though, you didn't really seem that into him."
"I can only imagine how weird it must be for you guys, since it's weird for even myself," Blossom admitted. "Please, don't punish us for this. Professor loves you both so much. He's been particularly worried about you, Bubbles, and now he'll be way more worried, than he already was." Bubbles casted her eyes down, overcome by sudden guilt. "Besides, neither of you are innocent in the ways of love. Bubbles, you're basically engaged to the devil," Blossom quipped. "Buttercup, you and Ace, are basically Bonnie and Clyde."
"Well, why did you come down so hard on my relationship with Ace, when you're sneaking around with Professor?" Buttercup questioned.
"Professor isn't a criminal. I didn't join a gang. I don't commit crimes. Hell, there's nothing even illegal about my relationship with Professor."
"Well, I love my boyfriend, too, ya know," Buttercup said defensively, though she didn't sound entirely sure of herself. "I mean, I thought I loved him."
"What happened?" Bubbles asked in concern.
Buttercup sighed. "Maybe, I shouldn't have left Mitch."
"That's what I've been trying to tell you," Blossom pointed out, in her 'told-you-so' voice.
"No one asked you, daddy's girl."
"Ew!" Bubbles squeaked. "I'll try to adjust to this situation," she assured Blossom, before addressing Buttercup, "but don't be so creepy about it!"
On their way home, the sisters spotted their male counterparts, the Rowdyruff Boys, flying a ways in the distance.
"What are you guys up to?" Blossom inquired, as the sisters approached the boys.
"Mind your own business," Brick spat, but went on to answer her question, anyway. "We're running errands for Mojo."
"Hey, congrats on your engagement." Bubbles eyes widened, and her jaw dropped, upon hearing Butch's words. "Should we call you Mom, now?"
Lucifer happened to be one of the Rowdyruff's fathers, and had partial custody of them, but they lived almost exclusively with their other father, Mojo Jojo. They'd have plenty of time to spend with Lucifer, someday, when they were dead, so everyone figured they ought to live out their short lifespans on Earth.
"How do you know about that?"
"Mojo told us," Brick elaborated. "Lucifer explained the situation over the phone."
"I bet they're in cahoots!" Everyone halted in midair, when Blossom caught the redheaded Ruff by his waist-length mullet, and kept him from flying any further.
"Ow!" He winced. "Lemme go, bitch!"
"Not until you tell me what your fathers plan to do."
"About what, the wedding?" He quipped. "Ow! Stop pulling my hair!" In the background, Butch and Boomer were laughing hysterically. "Shut up, and help me, assholes!"
"Tell me what you know!" Blossom pressed.
"I don't know what you're talking about! They're not planning anything!"
"Let him go, Blossom," the sugary Puff requested. "I don't think Lucifer has any ulterior motives. He just wants me..."
Blossom's eyebrows knitted in worry, as she reluctantly released her grip on Brick's hair. "Crazy bitch." He gestured for his brothers to follow, as he made a quick break for it. "Didn't even do anything wrong, this time."
As the boys flew off, Buttercup flipped them the bird. "Man, I hate those guys."
"Even if 'you-know-who,'" Blossom did actual air quotes, "doesn't have any ulterior motives, we're still worried about you, Bubbles. I mean, what could he possibly want with you, anyway?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bubbles narrowed her eyes, which were suddenly rimmed with tears. "You don't think he could simply want to be with me?"
"Open your eyes," Buttercup said. "It's not like this would be the first time you've been manipulated by Him."
"I understand why you have your doubts," Bubbles admitted, leaving out the fact that she had doubts of her own, as that would only cement those of her sisters, "but I feel like I can actually trust him, this time."
After they'd finally returned home, the Powerpuff Girls had a long, uncomfortable conversation with Professor Utonium, about he and Blossom's relationship. The couple apologized for keeping it secret from Bubbles and Buttercup, who naturally forgave them. Especially, since, as Blossom had pointed out, neither were really in a position to judge anyone else's love life.
Once the family had talked that out, the focus was shifted onto Bubbles, who adamantly refused to discuss her situation any further. At least, not at that very moment. Reluctantly, her family let it drop, so they could all pass out for the night. They were exhausted, as they'd been sleep deprived, for days. Still, the sisters stayed awake for another hour, as they lied in the queen sized bed they'd shared in their youth, before Bubbles and Buttercup moved into their own respective rooms, which had been left as they were, when they'd moved out.
Bubbles had painted a fantastical mural on one of her walls, the rest of which had been painted blue, with fluffy, white clouds. Many of her stuffed animals had been left on the bed, just as trophies still lined Buttercup's shelves. The latter's room, which had been painted lime green, was still rather messy, with sports equipment and tomboyish clothes scattered about her floor. The bedroom they'd once shared—which only Blossom occupied, until a year ago, when she started sleeping in the professor's bed—was as pristine as Buttercup's was messy. The pink walls were completely bare, save for a single poster of Einstein.
"You're such a nerd," Buttercup said rather affectionately, as she surveyed the poster of the elderly man with crazy, troll doll hair, whose tongue was sticking out at her.
"Hey, Einstein is one of the most brilliant minds in history." Blossom stated matter-of-factly. "Not nearly as smart as Drake, of course."
"Wait... Drake!?" Bubbles had rarely heard anyone use the professor's actual first name, and it sounded especially weird from one of her sisters. "Is that what you call Professor, when you're alone?"
"No, she calls him—" Bubbles slapped a hand over Buttercup's mouth, muffling the word, "daddy."
Eventually, the sisters drifted off to sleep, blissfully unaware that they were being watched. Bubbles even slept too soundly to be roused by the sensation that often woke her. Though she wouldn't remember, upon waking, her night was full of pleasant dreams.
